Meet the Candidates

We are excited to announce our nine candidates for the the 2021 Islamorada Chamber Board of Director’s six open seats. Ballots will be mailed on September 1st and we request that you please watch for your ballot, vote and return your completed ballot to the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce. We invite you to meet the candidates by viewing their individual videos below. * denotes incumbent

Adriana Cuomo* South State Bank

Adriana has been an active member of this community for 20 years, along with her husband Kevin. Currently she is the Vice President Market Manager of SouthState Bank, contributing to the development of the Bank’s overall growth strategy with her 19 years of local banking experience. Adriana graduated from Leadership Monroe County and currently serves on their board of directors.
Adriana takes pride volunteering her time in the community. She is a member of The Upper Keys Rotary, Upper Keys Business Professional Women and Tavernier Community Association and has served as a mentor of Take Stock in Children and American Cancer Society.  Additionally, she participated in the Big Kahuna fundraiser for the Good Health Clinic. Adriana is honored to be considered to serve on the Islamorada Chamber Board for another term representing this community.

Joe Roth* Regan ROTH Insurance Agency

Since 2010 Joe has served on the Islamorada Chamber Board of Directors. He has served as President for  two years and currently serves as Treasurer. Joe grew up in Islamorada and attended Coral Shores High  School leaving for a degree at Florida State University. Upon returning to the Keys, Joe owned and  operated a beach front recreation business at his family’s resort, Holiday Isle. Currently, Joe is in his 20th  year with Regan ROTH Insurance Agency in Tavernier as owner/agent. Joe hopes to continue serving the  Islamorada community as a very involved board member having in 2018 received the highest honor of his  Chamber career, the Irving Eyster Award for outstanding service to the Chamber. He humbly requests  your support and vote to continue to be a voice and resource for the Chamber. 

Joel Young* American Caribbean Real Estate

Joel Young first moved to the Florida Keys in 1989 and worked for the local radio stations. In 2009, he began his career in real estate. Joining American Caribbean was the perfect choice because of the company’s care for the community, professionalism, team environment, and continuing education. Joel’s passion is to serve his customers and community. Joel was named Realtor of the Year by the Florida Keys Board of Realtors (FKBR) in 2013, served as Board President in 2016, and was 2018 President of the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Joel’s passion for community service is recognized through volunteer activity with his church, MarrVelous Pet Rescues, Habitat for Humanity, Autism Society, and others. He would consider it an honor to continue serving on your Chamber board.

Ken Gentes* Ken Gentes Electrical Contractor

Ken Gentes is owner/operator of Ken Gentes Electrical Contractor, a full service residential & commercial electrical contracting company, He has been in business for 32 years in the Upper Keys.

Ken is a seasoned Chamber Board member with eight years’ experience and has held the office of President-Eelect & President for two terms. He is a proud recipient of the prestigious Islamorada Chamber Irving Eyster Award. Ken has resided in the Upper Keys most of his life, with his wife of 28 years, Wendy. He is an Islamorada home owner, business owner and an active community member. 

Lauren Clevenger Amara Cay Resort

Lauren has been a resident of South Florida for most of her life and is currently the General Manager of Amara Cay Resort, a part of the Islamorada Resort Collection which includes Postcard Inn, Pelican Cove, and La Siesta. She has worked in numerous capacities with the IRC for the last three years. 

Lauren acknowledged early on after moving to the Keys how unique our resident and business communities are. In a village that welcomes millions of visitors each year, she believes wholeheartedly that the lodging industry plays an integral role in driving our local economy. She looks forward to strengthening her role as a resident and business operator if elected to the board and is honored to be the only candidate in this year’s election representing the lodging industry. Lauren attended Middle Tennessee State University where she earned her B.S. in Nursing. Her compassion for people is obvious to all who know her, and she hopes to be able to share her time, hospitality, and love for Islamorada should she be elected to the Islamorada Chamber Board of Directors.

Lisa Lee Herman   Gallery of the Arts

Florida native Lisa Lee Herman opened up Gallery of the Arts in the fall of 2016 and has been an active member of the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce ever since.  

She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Music.  Lisa also studied abroad at the prestigious Edinburgh College of Arts.  She adores teaching piano lessons for our local young beginners, making learning music exciting and accessible for all. Lisa has created not only a gallery full of fine art but has also built a unique learning space for all types of creative classes.  She’s generous with her time and talent, donating live paintings and original artwork to many events and volunteers for numerous local causes.  As an entrepreneur, artist, and educator, Lisa will be a welcoming new voice to the Chamber Board.

Maria Jones   Florida Keys Electric Cooperative (FKEC)

Maria serves as the Director of Member Services and Government Relations for FKEC. Her background is in business communications. Throughout her 15 years in member service, she has played an intricate role in the utility maintaining a 98% customer satisfaction rate. She is steadfast in her commitment to serving cooperative members and leading her co-workers to success. Maria is also immersed in local and state government with a keen ability to garner solid relationships.

An active community participant, she is a member of the Upper Keys Rotary Club and presently Vice Chair of United Way of Collier and the Keys and serving on the Monroe Local Advisory Board. Maria is a graduate of Leadership Monroe County Class XX and a past LMC board member. She believes in giving back to the Florida Keys community she loves through various organizations and volunteer efforts, including the Chambers of Commerce, serving dinner once a month at Burton Memorial Church, organizing an annual bike drive for Wesley House, and volunteering at community events. Maria was recently named one of 10 Citizen’s Choice “outstanding individuals who bring out the best in our community” by The Citizen and FreePress. She is truly honored to be considered to serve on the Islamorada Chamber Board.

Phil Underwood* Bluewater in the Keys and EPIC Coaching 

Phil Underwood is at home in Islamorada. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Phil moved closer to his family roots in extreme South Florida almost nine years ago. Since that time he has begun Bluewater In The Keys, a non-traditional Christian gathering, launched his personal coaching mission, EPIC Coaching (Experience, Participate, Imagine, Create) and hosted leaders visiting The Keys for consultation, workshops, seminars and personal retreats from Australia, South Africa, Latvia, Costa Rica, Mexico and  20+ states.

As a twice-elected, four-year veteran of the Board of Directors, a Leadership Monroe County graduate, a member of the Monroe County Long-Term Recovery Group and President of the Upper Keys Ministry Alliance, Phil brings a different voice and service record to this amazing group of leaders on the Chamber Board.

Tammy Viergutz* Centennial Bank

Tammy is originally from Wisconsin and moved to Hudson, Florida in 1986 with her husband.  In 1993 they moved to Tavernier and raised their son.  She stayed active with his sports and school activities as well as helping her husband grow his air conditioning company while still advancing in her banking career.  Tammy lost her husband in 2008, but continued to encourage her son through college, and his law enforcement career.  She moved to Tampa for 4 years but her love for the Keys, and her son and his family drew her back.  Tammy joined Centennial Bank as Banking Center Manager in the Islamorada office in February 2016.  She has 30 years of banking experience; 24 of them have been in the Florida Keys.  Tammy is involved in the Upper Keys Rotary, active in her church and Islamorada Moose Lodge.  She loves serving on the Islamorada Chamber Board and working to support this community and would love the chance to serve again.